Melissa Charles author

That’s probably the big news, having a birthday. Wheee!

Many thanks to my family, for making it a memorable day. Lovely gifts, and plans to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower one evening this week.

In celebration (or acknowledgement) of the occasion, I’m setting some goals for the next year.

Goals

Before my next birthday, I will:

• Finish ALL revisions on my current manuscript. I’m currently on round four, still doing some rather large edits (adding complete scenes, deleting others, adjusting storylines). I’m hoping the current round will finish the big picture edits, and the next round (or two) will be minor adjustments. Which brings me to my next goal.
• Go on submission with this novel.
• Start a new manuscript

Those are goals I have direct control over. Sort of. Going on sub is more my agent’s call than mine, but completing all edits so that they have a novel worthy of being on submission is completely up to me, so I’m calling it under my control. Once the novel is pronounced ready, my job is momentarily done, and I shift into other work, leaving whatever happens next in my agent’s capable hands. Be that a spate of more baking chaos, another draft, I find the best way to deal with being on sub is by diving into something else.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have goals that I don’t have control over. I suppose those would be considered wishes, really, since there’s nothing I can do to make them happen. It’s up to the Universe, other people, the publishing industry. If it will be, it shall be sort of mindset.

Wishes

Before my next birthday, I would like:

• To sign a publishing contract
• To have an editor to work with, and a schedule
• To make an announcement, either via Publishers Marketplace or simply on social media that there is a release date coming. That my name will be on the cover of something book shaped.

Of course, the usual standard wishes of good health, the well-being and health of all my loved ones, and a winning lottery ticket still stand. All of the goals and wishes are in ADDITION to the standard ones, not in lieu of.

Just in case the Universe is actually listening and is picky about such things. Since I know Faeries are wily and very particular about phrasing, I have no reason to think that the Universe wouldn’t also be.

And to all of you, I wish you a lovely year, whenever your birthday may be or have been.

Onward!